Closet Overhaul – Start The New Year Fresh!

Dear Deborah,

I am newly 50 and an empty nester, trying to clear out the clutter of two decades of my boring “mommy wardrobe”, but I am having a hard time deciding what to keep and what to part with!! Any suggestions are welcome! ~Terri F.

Welcome, Terri!

Yes, this is a big change for you and a good time to update your wardrobe. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Set some goals

Make a pie chart of all your activities and divide the pie up into sections according to your lifestyle activities. Do you work a lot, golf, shop? Make sure to mark down what percentage of time you spend on each activity. That is going to give you an idea of where you need to focus your efforts. Next…..

2. Go through your closet and get rid of things you are not wearing or do not fit anymore.

3. Have a pad of paper and pencil handy to make a list of things you might need to replace.

4. Take the time to try on everything...you may be surprised how some things look and will want to get rid of them! ie: Remember tops for leggings need to be long enough to cover your bottom!

Being an empty nester probably means that you have more time to go out to dinner, host a dinner party for friends, attend concerts or go out to the movies. That means it’s time to get rid of the sweatsuits and tennis shoes. Now is the time to buy a great pair of boots, some new jeans, a cute sweater dress and of course some pretty scarves and other accessories.

5. Organize your Closet

Organize by style, by color, whatever you like. My closet, above, is organized by color with darks on the left, white on the right and everything in between.

Separate your clothes. Remember, if you can’t see it , you won’t wear it!

Are you an empty nester? How has your style changed? If you have any ideas for Terri, please leave a comment below.

I am a closet horder and have things in there since the early 90’s. I don’t even realize what I have anymore because everything is so crammed in there. I have well over thirty jeans but only have two legs..lol I am trying them on today and do not know what to toss and what to keep. Some are expensive and some not. Some are bell bottoms and hip huggers..I heard tht they are coming back this spring..what do I do?

Hi Dee,
Really styles do come and go. The bell bottoms are coming out again, but of course with a twist.. the legs are supper thin and then flair out. After 40 the best way to pick a jean is to your body type. If you are thin and can wear the straight legged ones with a long top over it, it can be a great look. The flair legged ones are great for those with more of a pear figure or wide shoulders.
They tried to put the high rise back recently but that didn’t really seem to fly. As for your 30 pair.. you should try each one on and put them in 2 piles. I adore them or I don’t adore them. Then give away the “I don’t adore them ” pile!!! Good luck and try to get rid of some of those clothes, you will be so happy you did!!

I love reading all of these comments for my question! I am learning lots from everyone. And I will try to find a decent picture of my tank/printed cardigan “uniform” to send in to you! I will keep purging in the meantime!!

Wow..loving all the comments! Jennifer, your story is inspiring! It sounds like the old saying, “less is more” rings true for you. I (JoJami) just moved into a smaller home too and like you have had to get rid of a lot….but you are inspiring me to get rid of even more!
I agree with you… would much rather buy only a few new outfits a year and wear them out..than have a closet full of boring old stuff! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the reminder to start a new year out fresh! I actually LOVE going thru my closet to organize and clear it out so I do it at twice a year when I change my winter wardrobe to my summer and vice versa. Nothing feels better than getting rid of worn-out / ill-fitting / just plain “I’m tired of that” clothes and doing some guilt-free shopping to replace/update them!

Further to your idea about analyzing your activities and building your wardrobe accordingly, one of my best tips for getting the most efficient use of your closet is to organize it by your activities. So, I have the following sections in my closet: work, formal, going out, casual (i.e. at home / running errangds), sleep, sports (for me that means one section for golf and one for running) and hobbies (for me that means country line dancing!). Each section has everything I need for each activity – from underwear and socks/hose to tops and pants to shoes and accessories to jackets/outerwear. It probably sounds a bit uncoventional, but I’ve been using this system for about 15 years, and it really works! Since you get dressed according to what you’re planning to do, why not have all your options together so you can easily see and choose them?! It also helps you see what you need to buy/replace and to get ready quickly each morning. So, give it a try. I promise it’ll work for you, too! Happy New Year to everyone!

Oh this is great – thank you! I recently moved house being an almost 50 and almost empty nester into a much much smaller home close to the theatres etc to enjoy ourselves post-mummy and daddy. Anyhow, we are still living in one cardboard porta-robe each (after a whole wall closet with all the gadgets!), so had to be ruthless in getting rid of almost everthing. Would you believe that even living with 20inches of clothes, I STILL don’t wear everything. BUT I get to see the outfits I just love and wear them to bits. So this is inspiring me to be really focused in my wardrobe and to have just a few great outfits that I love to wear in my new life. I went to the shops for the first time in a couple of months yesterday and instead of feeling guilty that I had so much still at home, it was wonderful to buy a new funky outfit and put it on display. I am about to re-accessorise with my favourite few shoes and bags I bought with me, and feel ok about retiring a sadder outfit… So good luck and enjoy! Jen

I love this post…it’s one of my favorite things to do! Now that I’ve lost weight, I have actually had to get rid of some things that are just to baggy! And I need to keep going…because I have been buying new clothes! Today I bought some skinny pants and a new top at Dillards! It’s more fun to shop now! Thanks for reminding me to keep working on my closet! ♥

Hi Lavender Dreams,
You are one of my most faithful readers and I LOVE that you area always challenging yourself to try new things and ideas! YOU ROCK!!
Keep up the good work and I always enjoy your comments!

Thanks for answering my question! I love your suggestions. The only hard part is that I live in South FL so it is too warm for the boots and long sweaters 98% of the time. I do like printed cotton cardigans with tanks. Is this a good option? I just ordered your closet DVD!! Thanks again :-)